Safety device for electric cranes.



PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

M. R. SULIOT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC GRANES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 24, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 vvENT0R Mar/115 12. Sal/10! BY f ATTORNEY. I

No. 876,503. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

M. R. SULIOT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC GRANES.

APPLIUATION IVILED JULY 24, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2' I N VEN TOR.

' ATTORN Y.

WITNESSES:

No. 876,503. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

M. R. SULIOT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC GRANE S.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

-ZEIQ E- C IN VEN TOR.

Marius RSulz'af W 9 ATTORNEY.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' MARIUS n. SULIOT, or SALEM, orno, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK KLEPETKQ'OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR-ELECTRIC CRANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908'.

Application filed July 24. 190'7. Serial No. 385,358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIUS R. SULIOT, citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safet Devices for Electric Cranes, of which the ollowing is a full, clear,

. and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in safety devices for electric cranes; andit consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, taken throu h the carriage-body of a traveling crane; ig.,2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1, parallel to the carriage-body and transverse to the girders and rails supporting the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational detail of the fiber contact-box and tors, hoists and the levers for actuating the contacts; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the contact-box on the line 55.of

I %he object of my invention is to provide suitable means which will automatically prevent either overwinding or overlowerin'g in the operation of electric cranes; and while herein specifically illustrated in connection with a crane, it is to be understood that the invention may be e ually applied on elevalike, and with either direct or alternating current systems. ()ver- Winding, as well understood, consists in raising the fall-block so hi h ,that it runs into the upper sheaves, thus reaking sheaves and cable. Overlowering, consists in lowering the block too far and in so doing, winding the cable on the drum the Wrong way.

With my im rovementj the movement of the hoisting ca 1e is availed of at the critical moment to set into operation certain devices throu h which there is shunted a porfeedcr circuit, thereby energizing a shunt trip which in turn operates the circuit-breaker b which the feeder circuit is controlled. Tlie closing and breaking of the shunt circuit is effected by means of suitable copper contacts within a hard-fiber contact box which completely covers and protects the circuit breaker being use the electrically-charged parts so that abso lute safety with regard to the crane or hoist operatives is insured.

The invention too, combines simplicity with cheapness of construction, and reliability, if necessary as an'overload circuit-breaker as well, by the mere employment of a series coil all as will more fully appear from a detailed description of the invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, G, represents the girders supporting the rails R over which travels the carriage C of the crane, the same being impelled in proper direction by any suitable source of power, but preferably electric. D, represents the main hoisting drum of the carria e, the said drum having rotation imparte thereto in proper direction for the motor to the drum. The character an details of this gearing are not herein entered into, as they may be of any prevailingand.

conventional form. Adapted to coil about the drum D from opposite ends toward the center thereof, and to uncoil" therefrom from the center to the ends are the opposite ends of a hoisting-cable H said cable assing over the sheaves a, a of the fall-b ock F, thence over the fixed pulleys or sheaves b, thence over the block-pulley or sheave c, all as fully understood in the art. The fallblock carries a trippin pin or arm 1, and the cable H has. adjustably mounted thereon near one of the ends thereof, a tripping button 2, these tripping devices serving to actuate at the proper moment suitable mechanism for cutting off the current from the motor M when there is danger of overwinding or overlowerin as above described. To break the current or the purposes aforesaid an ordinary twoole overload circuit-breaker B is availed 0 the same being provided with an energizing series coil 3 wh1ch discharges its regular function in the event the current comes too strong, and no comment is necessary relative to this functional feature of the ducting wires 0, O, O, in the path of two of which the circuit breaker B is interposed,

shunt circuit at, x, r, of two of the Wires O, is an energizing shunt coil 5 or shunt trip, which, on being energized raises the iron core 6, the latter striking the trip w of the circuit breaker and thus breaking the circuit. These features and their mode of operation are. well understood in the art and no special claim is made thereto. The coil of the shunt trip is energized at thepro er moment to prevent overwinding or over owering as the case may be by the following instrumentalities which in conjunction wlth the tripping devices 1, and 2 constitute the main features of my invention. These I shall now de-' scribe. Pivoted at one end to a bracket 7 of the carriage C, is a trippin lever 8 of the second class, its free end bemg adapted to be impinged and raised by the trip ing pin or arm 1 on the fall-block F. The ever bearsagainst the lower end of the stem 9 coupled to the reciprocating metallic rod 10 of the fiber contact-box 11, the rod 10 loosely operrod 16 passing loosely through the top of the.

fiber contact-box 11 and terminating in a knob 'or handle 18. .The contact plate 15 is normally forcedby the spring 17 against the fiber s acing ieces or b ocks 19 resting on the wa 12, t e latter being coupled to the,

top of the box by. bolts m loosely passing through suitable openings in said spacingpieces-and contact Slate respectively. The shunt wires w, a, lea respectively to the rod 10 and the contact plate 15 as shown (Fig. 5). The box 11 is referably bolted to the side of the carria e Pivoted to a racket 20 depending from the carriage is a bent supplemental trippinglever 8 of the first class, one end of the lever terminating in a pin or arm 21 bearing against the lower ed e of the main lever 8, and the opposite en terminating in a fork 22 adapted to be engaged by the button 2.

(Figs. 1, 2, 3.)

The operation of the device may be described as follows: As the hoisting winds up the cable H in the raising of a weight, should the fall-block a proach too near-the drum, the pinl of the b ock will engagethe long armof the primary tri ping lever 8 (dotted position Fig. 2) oscil ating the same upwardly. The lever in turn raises the stem 9 and forces the contact 10 into engagement with the contact 15 thereby closing the shunt circuit a, w, energizing the drum D.

" g- IIIbBIPOSBd in the Circuit f & }'coil 5 of the shunt trip, whereupon the core 6 of the latter at once actuates the tri w of the circuit breaker B and thus breaks t 1e circuit to the motor M. On the other hand, should it happen that in the lowering of the fallblock the drum is in danger of unwinding too far, the button 2 will engage the forked end 22 of the supplemental tripping lever 8, raising the short arm thereof and causing the terminal pin 21 to raise the lever 8 sufiiciently to again effect contact between the parts 10 and 15, the shunt circuit closing and reaking the circuit to the motor,'as before. After the device has operated,- it is only necessary to raise the handle 18, thus separating the contacts 10 and 15, and insert a small block of wood under the handle. This will allow the circuit-breaker B to be closed. The crane-blockor hoist may then be lowered (or raised) out of danger, after which the small wooden block under the handle is removed. and the device, under the action of the spring 17 is restored to its normal position and ready for another 0 eration. By lengthening or shortening the her tube f and compound i.(stem 9) the time of tripping may be adjusted. So too by shifting the button 2 on the cable, the time of tripping in the unwinding or lowering may. be accurately adjusted.

The vital and most important feature of the invention resides in the fiber-box with its contacts. It is here that the circuit is completedwhich stops the motor, the block, levers, and other connections constituting the means through which the contacts are made to o erate.

T e advantages of the device are its sim-' licity, reliability, and cheapness of manuacture, its absolute safety with regard to the crane or hoist operatlves, none of the electrically charged parts being in any way exposed. .No attempt is here made to illustrate the details of the circuit-breaker, the same being herein shown conventionally, since its mode of operation is well understood by those skilled in the art, there being many forms of automatic breakers. It may be stated that the lever. 8 is sup orted by a looped bracket or hanger 23 as s own or by any equivalent means which'will permit the necessary oscillation which the lever undergoes when struck by the arm 1.

Having described my invention what I claim is :1 a

1. In combination with a hoisting. cable,

an electric motor for raising and lowerin the same a contact-box, normally separate contacts confined within the box, a projecting stem operating loosely through the wall of the box and secured to-one of the contacts, a tripping lever pivoted in proximit to the box and e the stem aforesai devices actuated y the cable for moving the lever and actuating the stem, and forcing second contact and projecting t rough the the contacts'together within the box, conducting shunt-wires leading from the contacts, an energizing coil in the circuit of 'the shunt, a circult breaker for the electric motor, the. energizing of the shunt coil-opening the breaker and breaking the circuit to the motor upon-movement of the tripping lever by the devices actuated -by the cable, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with an electricmotor, a fall-block and cable actuated thereby, a circuit-breaker in circuit with the motor, a contact box, contacts within the box, springs for normally separating-said contacts, a handle coupled to one of the contacts and normally resting on the box, an insulated reciprocating stem cou led to the opposite wall of the box, a shunt-circuit having its terminals leading from the main feed ers to the contacts through the Walls of'the box, a main tripping lever hinged at one end and engaging t e end of the projectin stem aforesaid, a second or supplementa tri ping lever having one end engaging t e main lever at a point removed from the fixed end of the latter-lever, and devices on the fall-block for raising the main lever whereby the contacts are forced .into engagement and.

the shunt circuit is closed, and an energizing coil in the shunt circuit for opening the circuit-breaker and breaking the circuit to the motor, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with an electric motor, a fall-block and cable actuated thereby, a circuit-breaker in circuit with the motor, a fiber-contact-b0x, contacts within the box, springs for normally separatin I the contacts, a handle cou led to one of t e contacts and normally resting on top of the box, an insulated reciprocating stem secured to the second contact and projecting through the bottom of the box, a shunt-circuit having its terminals leading from the main feeders to the contacts through the walls of the box, a main tripping lever hinged at one end and engaging t e end of the projecting stem aforesaid, a second or supplemental tripping lever having one end bearing against the main lever, a button on the cable engaging and tripping said supplemental lever for an over-lowered position of the fall-block, devices on the fall-block for raising the main lever for an over-Wound position of the cable,

whereby, and for the tripped position of either lever the contacts are forced into engageinent and the shunt circuit is closed, and an energizing coil on the shunt for opening the circuit breaker and breaking the circult to the motor, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

MARIUS R. SULIOT. Witnesses:

GEO. S. COOPER, R. O. KR IDLER. 

